Top Azeri diplomat downplays corridor idea between breakaway region, Armenia

Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
14 Feb 05

[Presenter] Baku has immediately responded to [Armenian Defence
Minister] Serzh Sarkisyan’s statement [on the opening of corridor
between Armenia and Karabakh]. [Azerbaijani] Deputy Foreign Minister
Araz Azimov has said that Azerbaijan will not allow [occupied
Azerbaijani district of] Lacin to be used as a transit corridor
between Armenia and Karabakh.

[Correspondent, over archive video of Araz Azimov speaking to ATV] Both
[Azerbaijan’s exclave of] Naxcivan and Nagornyy Karabakh are integral
parts of Azerbaijan and therefore there cannot be any talk about the
opening of a corridor there, the president’s special representative
for settling the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, Araz Azimov, said. He
noted that Baku is actually against the notion of the corridor to
build relations between Armenia and Karabakh’s Armenians, because
this notion is quite a limited one. Whatever action is to be taken
within this corridor, it may face certain difficulties. As a result,
the parties will face mutual distrust and will be taken with the idea
of ensuring the security of the corridor, end of quote.

Azimov said that Azerbaijan has its own proposals instead. He
stressed that Baku thinks that both Azerbaijan and Armenia can
use all communication lines in the conflict zone which will enable
Azerbaijanis to travel freely to Naxcivan and Armenia to maintain
relations with the Armenians in Nagornyy Karabakh. Azimov said that
the roads should be freely used for this purpose.

The presidential envoy emphasized that Lacin has been and will
continue to be Azerbaijani land. No part of Lacin can be included
in the Armenian-proposed corridor. We are talking only about roads
and communication lines here. If we talk about a particular road
traversing Lacin, this road can be made safe only if Azerbaijan uses
it to go to Naxcivan and Armenia to go to Karabakh. This road can be
made safe by the parties committing themselves to that, end of quote.

Azimov said that this proposal can be discussed. The envoy stressed
that the return of refugees to their native lands is not yet on
the agenda. This problem can be discussed only after Azerbaijan and
Armenia restore normal relations, he said. As for relations between
Karabakh’s Armenians and Armenia after the resolution of the problem,
Azimov noted that Baku, which wants a peaceful solution to be found to
the conflict, guarantees the security of these relations. The envoy
said that Armenia has a military solution in mind in its approach to
the settlement of the conflict, while Azerbaijan is in favour of a
peaceful settlement. There would be no need for a security belt if
peace is restored. What is needed is economic cooperation around
Karabakh, he said.

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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress